Quotes by Director | Beyond Motive 55/67

top of page

Quotes by Director

"It comes down to this: black people were stripped of our identities when we were brought here, and it's been a quest since then to define who we are."

"It comes down to this: black people were stripped of our identities when we were brought here, and it's been a quest since then to define who we are."

Spike Lee, American Director

36

"You don't work on something for six years and be blind to the myriad of other approaches."

"You don't work on something for six years and be blind to the myriad of other approaches."

Ken Burns, American Director

Work, Blind, Years

36

"I'd love to do acting, but it'd definitely have to be comedy. I can't do serious. It's completely beyond me."

"I'd love to do acting, but it'd definitely have to be comedy. I can't do serious. It's completely beyond me."

Allan Carr, British Director

Love, Acting, Comedy

36

"I think sequels should be earned and we won't do it unless the script is better than the first one."

"I think sequels should be earned and we won't do it unless the script is better than the first one."

Jay Roach, American Director

36

"I'm a good actor in that sense for directors because I always do what they say."

"I'm a good actor in that sense for directors because I always do what they say."

Alex Cox, British Director

36

"You can't get an actor to do something that is beyond his range, so you have to be aware of the range of the actor and, if necessary, alter the part to suit the actor."

"You can't get an actor to do something that is beyond his range, so you have to be aware of the range of the actor and, if necessary, alter the part to suit the actor."

John Boorman, British Director

36

"My movement from painting to film was a very conscious one."

"My movement from painting to film was a very conscious one."

Kathryn Bigelow, American Director

36

"The essence of the stage is concentration and penetration. Of the screen action, movement, sweep."

"The essence of the stage is concentration and penetration. Of the screen action, movement, sweep."

Elia Kazan, American Director

36

"I gave my life to the Group Theatre, because in it I'm building something for myself. What I build, I am."

"I gave my life to the Group Theatre, because in it I'm building something for myself. What I build, I am."

Elia Kazan, American Director

Life, Building, Theatre

36

"There would always be a vote. There were always conflicts and arguments for years and years - that's why we're not together anymore. But there was always a vote. It was always two out of three."

"There would always be a vote. There were always conflicts and arguments for years and years - that's why we're not together anymore. But there was always a vote. It was always two out of three."

David Zucker, American Director

Movies, Arguments, Vote, Years

36

"Writing requires a great deal of skill, just like painting does. People don't want to learn those skills."

"Writing requires a great deal of skill, just like painting does. People don't want to learn those skills."

John Milius, American Director

People, Painting, Skill, Want

36

"It's a good place when all you have is hope and not expectations."

"It's a good place when all you have is hope and not expectations."

Danny Boyle, English Director

Hope, Expectations

36

"I always try to preserve my cinematographic style, even while I work in the US. I wish to always be European."

"I always try to preserve my cinematographic style, even while I work in the US. I wish to always be European."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

36

"I want the score to have a really big voice."

"I want the score to have a really big voice."

Mike Figgis, English Director

36

"Animators have to live life 24 times as long as we do - every 24 frames of a second."

"Animators have to live life 24 times as long as we do - every 24 frames of a second."

Darren Aronofsky, American Director

36

"It's a miserable life in Hollywood. You're up at five or six o'clock in the morning to be ready to start shooting at nine."

"It's a miserable life in Hollywood. You're up at five or six o'clock in the morning to be ready to start shooting at nine."

William Wyler, American Director

Life, Hollywood

36

"Till now I have never shot a scene without taking account of what stands behind the actors because the relationship between people and their surroundings is of prime importance."

"Till now I have never shot a scene without taking account of what stands behind the actors because the relationship between people and their surroundings is of prime importance."

Michelangelo Antonioni, Italian Director

People, Actors, Importance, Now

36

"Sometimes a piece of music in the score isn't effective. When a score is too well finished with too many elements, sometimes it's too much."

"Sometimes a piece of music in the score isn't effective. When a score is too well finished with too many elements, sometimes it's too much."

Alejandro Amenabar, Spanish Director

36

"I went to Montreal. My first gig went very badly. They just weren't laughing at anything. I found out they were a load of Christians, and it was a gig to raise money for a new church roof."

"I went to Montreal. My first gig went very badly. They just weren't laughing at anything. I found out they were a load of Christians, and it was a gig to raise money for a new church roof."

Allan Carr, British Director

Money, Church, First

36

"I'll never forget the first screening at the Berlin Film Festival. As soon as the film ended there was an outbreak of booing, which made us look at each other with some surprise."

"I'll never forget the first screening at the Berlin Film Festival. As soon as the film ended there was an outbreak of booing, which made us look at each other with some surprise."

John Schlesinger, British Director

Film, First, Forget

36

"Ridley and I talk every day. Our family is very close because we're from North England."

"Ridley and I talk every day. Our family is very close because we're from North England."

Tony Scott, British Director

Family, Day, England, Talk

36

"In order to do a musical now, a style must be developed that works for today's audience."

"In order to do a musical now, a style must be developed that works for today's audience."

Randal Kleiser, American Director

Now, Order, Style, Today

36

"Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television."

"Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television."

Woody Allen, American Director

Life, Art, Television

36

"In our racist, sexist society, Christmas is the 8 hours when we stop killing each other and gratutious over eating is encouraged so that the starving and other people in the world can die!"

"In our racist, sexist society, Christmas is the 8 hours when we stop killing each other and gratutious over eating is encouraged so that the starving and other people in the world can die!"

Lloyd Kaufman, American Director

Society, People, Christmas, Eating

36

"Not only is there no God, but try finding a plumber on Sunday."

"Not only is there no God, but try finding a plumber on Sunday."

Woody Allen, American Director

36

"My mother used to take my brother and me to get any books we wanted, but they were second hand books published in the '30s and '40s. I liked scary books."

"My mother used to take my brother and me to get any books we wanted, but they were second hand books published in the '30s and '40s. I liked scary books."

Alejandro Amenabar, Spanish Director

Family, Mother, Brother, Books

36

"I have never seen a connection between cinematic violence towards women and actual violence towards women in society."

"I have never seen a connection between cinematic violence towards women and actual violence towards women in society."

Richard King, American Director

Society, Women, Connection, Violence

36

"We just said, 'Okay, you're in the movie. Bring what you would bring for a three-day weekend and I hope you like the way you look in it because once you're on camera, that's your wardrobe.' But it worked; it worked and we were very surprised."

"We just said, 'Okay, you're in the movie. Bring what you would bring for a three-day weekend and I hope you like the way you look in it because once you're on camera, that's your wardrobe.' But it worked; it worked and we were very surprised."

John Sayles, American Director

36

"To deny women directors, as I suspect is happening in the States, is to deny the feminine vision."

"To deny women directors, as I suspect is happening in the States, is to deny the feminine vision."

Jane Campion, New Zealander Director

Woman, Women, Vision, States, Newzealander

36

"It didn't happen every time for every movie. Ruthless People was a good movie, but we didn't get a good release or marketing. They completely blew the opening."

"It didn't happen every time for every movie. Ruthless People was a good movie, but we didn't get a good release or marketing. They completely blew the opening."

David Zucker, American Director

Time, People, Marketing

36

"Why is it better to love than to be loved? It is surer."

"Why is it better to love than to be loved? It is surer."

Sacha Guitry, French Director

36

"The whole film is about people being convinced that they can reduce themselves to their archetypes."

"The whole film is about people being convinced that they can reduce themselves to their archetypes."

Atom Egoyan, Canadian Director

People, Being, Film

36

"Ibrahim tells his story without a grain of complaint, and this was true for all of the band members. This is very much part of the Cuban spirit and soul."

"Ibrahim tells his story without a grain of complaint, and this was true for all of the band members. This is very much part of the Cuban spirit and soul."

Wim Wenders, German Director

Soul, Complaint, Spirit

36

"My best male friend is my best friend until he crosses me. We're all protective of the self."

"My best male friend is my best friend until he crosses me. We're all protective of the self."

Neil LaBute, American Director

Friendship, Friend, Self

36

"Actors get pigeonholed very quickly, particularly movie actors. In the theater, one is more used to casting people against type and trusting that their talent and skill will get them through."

"Actors get pigeonholed very quickly, particularly movie actors. In the theater, one is more used to casting people against type and trusting that their talent and skill will get them through."

Sam Mendes, British Director

Talent, People, Actors, Skill

36

"I read cover to cover every jazz publication that I could and in the New York Times, every single day reading their jazz reviews even though I didn't put them in the films. I wanted to know what is going on."

"I read cover to cover every jazz publication that I could and in the New York Times, every single day reading their jazz reviews even though I didn't put them in the films. I wanted to know what is going on."

Ken Burns, American Director

Lifestyle, Day, Jazz, Reading

36

"The movie business is very much like that: people in authority making purely emotional decisions instead of interesting rational ones."

"The movie business is very much like that: people in authority making purely emotional decisions instead of interesting rational ones."

Bill Forsyth, Scottish Director

Business, People, Authority, Decisions

36

"What we call 'evil' doesn't necessarily deserve any kind of respect or understanding, by any means; it just deserves an acknowledgement of its complexity so we can better understand it - so we can help prevent it."

"What we call 'evil' doesn't necessarily deserve any kind of respect or understanding, by any means; it just deserves an acknowledgement of its complexity so we can better understand it - so we can help prevent it."

Bryan Singer, American Director

Evil, Complexity, Help, Respect, Understanding

36

"I never wanted to dilute my private passion for the art by airing and arguing it in public."

"I never wanted to dilute my private passion for the art by airing and arguing it in public."

James Broughton, American Director

Art, Passion, Public

36

"I'm not a Hollywood basher because enough good movies come out of the Hollywood system every year to justify its existence, without any apologies."

"I'm not a Hollywood basher because enough good movies come out of the Hollywood system every year to justify its existence, without any apologies."

Quentin Tarantino, American Director

Movies, Apologies, Existence, Hollywood

36

"The challenge is what was making it exciting. You don't want to do anything that's too easy or that you know that you can pull off, otherwise it's really not worth doing."

"The challenge is what was making it exciting. You don't want to do anything that's too easy or that you know that you can pull off, otherwise it's really not worth doing."

Robert Rodriguez, American Director

Challenge, Want, Worth

36

"I didn't have that much confidence. Maybe it looks that way. I'm glad it does."

"I didn't have that much confidence. Maybe it looks that way. I'm glad it does."

Elia Kazan, American Director

36

"Egotism is not a good quality. It's not something to be admired or even tolerated. It wouldn't be tolerated in a field commander and it shouldn't be tolerated in a movie director."

"Egotism is not a good quality. It's not something to be admired or even tolerated. It wouldn't be tolerated in a field commander and it shouldn't be tolerated in a movie director."

John Milius, American Director

Quality, Egotism

36

"I think one of the successes of Gladiator is how we manage to turn on a dime the character from one thing to another where you believe he is one thing and he is something very different."

"I think one of the successes of Gladiator is how we manage to turn on a dime the character from one thing to another where you believe he is one thing and he is something very different."

Ridley Scott, British Director

36

"If we put the camera on ourselves, our friends and neighbors, we'll come up with some scary stuff."

"If we put the camera on ourselves, our friends and neighbors, we'll come up with some scary stuff."

Neil LaBute, American Director

Friendship, Friends, Neighbors

36

"Like some of my other movies, 'Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes' is also a very political film, and many critics still consider it even the best of all the Apes movies, because it conveys a series of political viewpoints."

"Like some of my other movies, 'Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes' is also a very political film, and many critics still consider it even the best of all the Apes movies, because it conveys a series of political viewpoints."

J. Lee Thompson, British Director

36

"I'm a junkie. I like drugs, I like the whole lifestyle, but it just didn't pay off."

"I'm a junkie. I like drugs, I like the whole lifestyle, but it just didn't pay off."

Gus Van Sant, American Director

Diplomacy, Drugs

36

"I use cinematic things in a theatrical way on stage, and in film I use theatrical techniques in a cinematic way."

"I use cinematic things in a theatrical way on stage, and in film I use theatrical techniques in a cinematic way."

Julie Taymor, American Director

36

"I think I avoid stepping into sentimentality by trying to be as truthful as possible with performances."

"I think I avoid stepping into sentimentality by trying to be as truthful as possible with performances."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

Acting, Sentimentality, Trying

36

"I like the opportunity to make films."

"I like the opportunity to make films."

Antoine Fuqua, American Director

36

bottom of page